So, you’re thinking of buying a decent inexpensive phone, eh? There are so many great options in the Nepalese market, especially right now. Manufacturers have been clever enough in their smartphone lineup, and are thus streamlining their production of solid budget & mid-range phones by factoring in the booming and price-sensitive markets like South Asia. But guess what? No matter how sturdy a phone is, it is not immune to breakage and damage; and the most common of them is a screen replacement.
It is quite scary, mostly in the premium section of smartphones. Replacing a damaged/broken screen for a $1000 phone can go as high as $400! (you could make a religion out of this) However, today I’ll be discussing screen replacement costs for some of the popular mid-range smartphones you can buy right now in Nepal.
The whole point behind purchasing an economical phone is cost minimization.
So what’s the point if its probable repair cumulates to an unwarranted level of expense? Hopefully, this article will be helpful to our audience in making an informed purchase decision on a finer level.
The following list of smartphones is arranged in ascending order of their respective official screen replacement costs. And as for the screen-to-phone percentage, lower is better, which means the cost to replace the screen is relatively cheaper than the actual phone’s cost.
Screen Replacement Cost of Popular Midrange Phones in Nepal:
Samsung Galaxy A33
The Samsung Galaxy A33 is a year-old phone now. It sports a U-shaped notch AMOLED display with a 6.4-inch size and FHD+ resolution. Well, Samsung AMOLED panels are usually great and this one is also not an exception. However, the phone was overpriced at Rs. 46,999 for the sole 8/128GB variant, which has since been discounted and the phone is available at Rs. 42,499 right now.
Now, the moment of truth. The screen replacement for the Galaxy A33 is Rs. 8,700. With its 20.5% screen-to-phone cost percentage, this is the cheapest one on the list.
I live V27e
Next on the list is the new Vivo V27e. Talking of its display, you get a tall 6.62-inch FHD+ AMOLED panel. The V27e is a toned-down version of the more expensive Vivo V27 and comes with a 4G Helio G99 SoC.
Now, the V27e retails at Rs. 41,999 for the sole 8/256GB variant. Its screen replacement, on the other hand, is at Rs. 9,000thus scoring a 21.5% of the phone’s retail price.
Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G
This last year’s mid-ranger from Redmi, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G features a 6.67-inches FHD+ AMOLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate. The tiny punch-hole cutout on the display holds the selfie camera. Moreover, it gets Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
If you were unfortunate enough to break or in any other way damage the screen on this phone, it will set you back Rs. 10,800. With an asking price of Rs. 38,499the Redmi Note 12 Pro achieves a screen-to-phone cost percentage of 28.1%.
OnePlus Nord CE 2
The OnePlus Nord CE 2 is a 2022 midrange phone from the Chinese company. Bearing a similar design to the Oppo’s Find X3, the Nord CE 2 sports a 6.4-inches OLED panel with a 90Hz refresh rate and FHD+ resolution.
On to its price, the phone costs about Rs. 48,999 for the sole 8/128GB variant, while replacing its screen will put you short of a jaw-dropping 16,500 rupees. As a result, it covers 33.7% of the phone’s price, and matter of fact, it is not even a curved display.
Realme 10 Pro+
The Realme 10 Pro+ is an aesthetically focused phone with a gorgeous curved display. This 6.7-inch FHD+ OLED display with a hole punch cutout features a 120Hz refresh rate and 2160Hz high-frequency dimming technology.
It retails at Rs. 45,999 for this sole 8/128GB version. So getting into the matter at hand, the screen replacement cost a whopping Rs. 16,000which makes up around 34.9% of the phone’s price. So, the aesthetics will cost you a chunk of money, if you happen to break the display.
Summary
| Smartphone | Price in Nepal (Starting Price*) | Screen Replacement Cost | Screen-to-phone Cost in Percentage |
| Samsung Galaxy A33 | Rs. 42,499 | Rs. 8,700 | 20.5% |
| I live V27e | Rs. 41,999 | Rs. 9,000 | 21.5% |
| Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G | Rs. 38,499 | Rs. 10,800 | 28.1% |
| OnePlus Nord CE 2 | Rs. 48,999 | Rs. 16,500 | 33.7% |
| Realme 10 Pro+ | Rs. 45,999 | Rs. 16,000 | 34.9% |
Conclusion
While we were focused on getting good phones for cheap, it looks like we’re forgetting about something equally crucial – repairability. In my books, a good phone isn’t just one that performs well; it should simultaneously be durable enough so that a yearly upgrade isn’t required.
I know, I’m asking a lot of our Nepalese audience when I say they consider such factors as well before buying a phone, or any other electronic device for that matter. But the fact of the day is, the growing volume of smartphone production takes a toll on the environment as well due to its carbon emissions. And costs incurred on smartphone repairs like screen replacement don’t come cheap either. So, if possible, consider the repairability score of a phone from sites like iFixit before buying one.